Tajweed
and its application can only be learned with a qualified teacher.

The
rules themselves can be studied independently, but their correct application can
only be done by listening to, reciting to, and being corrected by, a qualified
teacher of the Qur’an.

Do
all Arabs know how to recite the Qur’an with proper tajweed?

Unfortunately
many do not know proper tajweed.In
the days of the Prophet, peace and blessing upon him, there was no need for the
study of tajweed because they talked with what is now known as tajweed; in other
words, it was natural for them.Now,
over 14 centuries later, colloquial Arabic has changed radically from the
classical Arabic with which the Qur’an was revealed, and Arabs have to study
tajweed, just in the same way that non-Arabs do.

I
want to learn to recite the Qur’an with proper tajweed, but don’t know where
to start.

The
first step is finding a qualified Qur’an teacher who will listen to you and
point out your mistakes, and help you practice fixing them.You will need to learn the Arabic letters and vowels too.

What
if there aren’t any qualified teachers where I live?

Then
your task is going to be a little harder, but certainly not impossible.You need to work with tapes of good reciters, for example, Sheikh
Abdullah Basfar, or Sheikh Mohammed Hosary.There are sets available on the Internet and in Islamic stores that are
called “mu’alm”.In these
sets, the reciter reads a phrase, and then there is a blank space on the tape,
allowing the student to repeat what the reciter has just read.

You
will need to work on the pronunciation of letters by getting a description of
the articulation points and practice placing your tongue, lips, or finding the
place in your throat where the letter is articulated from, and compare it to the
letter when recited by the Sheikh.